how much do you tip?

[FA_Q2]

FAB topic!

And before I read the thread, I'll answer : 15% + / - $1

depending upon how many times the server visits the table,
and whether s/he remembers to bring/do the personal "extras,"
like dressing on the side.

Speaking as a former waitress, your tip was too much,
and bespeaks a lonely man.

It will get better. the voice of experience

I have a family of 4 currently with a six year old and a ten month old. Trust, after we leave you likely deserve more than 15 percent LOL

Sometimes it surprises even me the mess that my little ones make no matter how much you try and limit/clean it up!

 

[FA_Q2]

20% minimum. Sometimes as high as 50%.

I'll tip an incompetent but friendly waiter a lot higher than a competent but unfriendly one, because I remember what it was like when I started waiting tables.

Very true. A terrible waiter can completely make up for it with a good attitude AND a quick response to fixing the problem. Most of the best tips I have given were not because they were particularly good at waiting but because they were responsive and paid attention to us if we had a problem.

Most of the bad tips come when I have to get up and search for people to address something.

If restaurant owners paid $15 per hour instead of customers giving tips, then the prices would increase dramatically.

...and service would suck!!!

That is why our system works well. Ever go overseas where they figure tips in automatically? You can't even get your water glass refilled...

Staff knows they are getting their money either way!

There is no tradition of tipping in Japan, and you will NOT get better service anywhere.

That is a cultural thing. All services in Japan tend to work in that manner as they take extreme pride in what they do no matter what the job. They are also quick as hell to fire someone that has done something unsatisfactory. Japan has a very interesting culture.

...and service would suck!!!

That is why our system works well. Ever go overseas where they figure tips in automatically? You can't even get your water glass refilled...

Staff knows they are getting their money either way!

I've received good service in Europe.

Yea, me too.

Really? I had a few restaurants that had good service when I was in Germany but the vast majority made me feel like they thought they did me a favor whenever they did anything. The service out there was incredibly bad.

OTOH, as bad as the service was the people were generally very personable. A few times we were seated with other customers at a table and it was always very interesting and there was a restaurant ran by a brother/sister combo that gave good service and was very personable. They would always play with our son when we went there so I guess there is good and bad anywhere. I could not imagine a restaurant in the states sitting 2 parties at a single table.

 

[Sarah G]

I usually tip 20%. I have friends who judge the service, some are very critical, and tip accordingly. I rarely get a bad waitress/waiter. I'm nice and they are too.

One of my friends is embarrassingly critical. A guy came to our big table and introduced himself and said he'd be our server today. She said congratulations.. I should have said in the beginning that my critical friend is very generous when she is happy with the service.

They work hard and deserve their tips.

 

[Obamanation]

Re: Japan --- I wasn't gonna take the time to explain the obvious to them --- thank you!

Re: Germany --- France is exactly the same. "Don't want to put you out or anything..."

Try the Bahamas too --- You get outside of the heavy tourist spots and they are quick to let you know they don't care for Americans very much --- just want our money.

 

[Noomi]

Higher wages, as you do and Europe does.

I agree. And there is no expectation or demand on the customers to bring extra change with them to hand over to the server.

Of course in Europe, and probably Australia, the employer pays health care. They don't in the US.

Employers don't pay health care here. They don't have to. We have socialised medicine, and people can afford private health cover if they want it.

 

[Noomi]

guess their had to be a topic on here before like this....just ate a single diiner the bill was $22.50 gave her $40 bucks and told her to keep the change... I am a 48 year old single guy now. thats just me... how much do you tip? and do you lean left or right? just curious......

Nothing - and you wouldn't have to tip if only the employer would pay decent wages.

Where are you from? Australia? Can't remember, but I'm assuming it is one of the countries where tipping is not expected or rarely expected. I know most of Europe is the same where wait staff is paid a reasonable wage and tipping is not expected. Here in the US though, people are expected and should tip, and that includes tipping pizza delivery drivers, taxi drivers, bellhops, maid service at the hotel you stay at, and so forth. If you ever visit the US, please tip these people because that is how they make their living and most work pretty hard.

I have no doubt that they do work very hard, however, I should not have to make up for their lack of wages with a tip. How expensive would a stay at a hotel be if I had to tip every single person I encountered?

Despite the fact they work hard, it is not my problem that they don't earn enough to pay the bills. They need to demand a pay rise from the employer - because they deserve one.

 

[Unkotare]

20% minimum. Sometimes as high as 50%.

I'll tip an incompetent but friendly waiter a lot higher than a competent but unfriendly one, because I remember what it was like when I started waiting tables.

Very true. A terrible waiter can completely make up for it with a good attitude AND a quick response to fixing the problem. Most of the best tips I have given were not because they were particularly good at waiting but because they were responsive and paid attention to us if we had a problem.

Most of the bad tips come when I have to get up and search for people to address something.

There is no tradition of tipping in Japan, and you will NOT get better service anywhere.

That is a cultural thing. All services in Japan tend to work in that manner as they take extreme pride in what they do no matter what the job. They are also quick as hell to fire someone that has done something unsatisfactory. Japan has a very interesting culture.

I've received good service in Europe.

Yea, me too.

Really? I had a few restaurants that had good service when I was in Germany but the vast majority made me feel like they thought they did me a favor whenever they did anything. The service out there was incredibly bad.

OTOH, as bad as the service was the people were generally very personable. A few times we were seated with other customers at a table and it was always very interesting and there was a restaurant ran by a brother/sister combo that gave good service and was very personable. They would always play with our son when we went there so I guess there is good and bad anywhere. I could not imagine a restaurant in the states sitting 2 parties at a single table.

I remember running into a group of German tourists in Kyoto once in an Okonomiyaki restaurant. This was a family place - not a chain or one of the many eateries around the popular tourist spots. Really, really great Okonomiyaki. Well, this group of 7-10 German tourists wander in looking completely lost. They are greeted, shown to a table and given a menu. However, not being a touristy spot, the menu is not in English as well as Japanese, as you will usually find in the more 'international' places (nowadays, most places really). The staff at the restaurant spoke not a word of German and not too many of English. I speak very, very little German. One of the Germans spoke enough English to get across to me what they wanted and to understand what I told them they actually had. After about 20 minutes of climbing up and down the Tower of Babel, we managed to find out what they wanted and to communicate that to the restaurant staff. Everyone ended up eating what they wanted and being pretty amused by the whole experience.

 

[jan]

15%...20% if the service was exceptionaly outstanding.

 

[Unkotare]

Nothing - and you wouldn't have to tip if only the employer would pay decent wages.

Where are you from? Australia? Can't remember, but I'm assuming it is one of the countries where tipping is not expected or rarely expected. I know most of Europe is the same where wait staff is paid a reasonable wage and tipping is not expected. Here in the US though, people are expected and should tip, and that includes tipping pizza delivery drivers, taxi drivers, bellhops, maid service at the hotel you stay at, and so forth. If you ever visit the US, please tip these people because that is how they make their living and most work pretty hard.

I have no doubt that they do work very hard, however, I should not have to make up for their lack of wages with a tip. How expensive would a stay at a hotel be if I had to tip every single person I encountered?

Despite the fact they work hard, it is not my problem that they don't earn enough to pay the bills. They need to demand a pay rise from the employer - because they deserve one.

LOL. Good luck with your meal or using the towels in your hotel.

 

[Unkotare]

Re: Japan --- I wasn't gonna take the time to explain the obvious to them --- thank you!.

 

[Noomi]

Higher wages, as you do and Europe does.

I agree. And there is no expectation or demand on the customers to bring extra change with them to hand over to the server.

If restaurant owners paid $15 per hour instead of customers giving tips, then the prices would increase dramatically.

So what? Are customers too stingy to pay a little extra? More likely the employer can more than afford to pay extra, they refuse to because they want that extra million.

I agree. And there is no expectation or demand on the customers to bring extra change with them to hand over to the server.

Then what incentives do waitresses and waiters have to provide good consumer services if their wages are guaranteed regardless of their performance?

Well that is an easy one to answer. The provide good service because they want to keep their job just like any other job.

I get paid $18 an hour, and I am decent to all of my customers. Of course, if you treat me like shit, I won't provide you good service. Generally though, I will open a door for you if you are disabled, take your meal out to you, find you a seat and ensure you are settled before placing your meal down in front of you etc. I don't have to, but you do these things because you are a decent employee.

I agree. And there is no expectation or demand on the customers to bring extra change with them to hand over to the server.

If restaurant owners paid $15 per hour instead of customers giving tips, then the prices would increase dramatically.

...and service would suck!!!

That is why our system works well. Ever go overseas where they figure tips in automatically? You can't even get your water glass refilled...

Staff knows they are getting their money either way!

We refill your water glass here. Its only water, after all.

Tipping has got to be one of the most annoying 'traditions' of all time. Increase the prices for food at restaurants, pay the servers a decent wage, and charge the customer what is on the damn bill only. Eliminate the whole stupid song and dance.

I agree!

 

[Noomi]

Where are you from? Australia? Can't remember, but I'm assuming it is one of the countries where tipping is not expected or rarely expected. I know most of Europe is the same where wait staff is paid a reasonable wage and tipping is not expected. Here in the US though, people are expected and should tip, and that includes tipping pizza delivery drivers, taxi drivers, bellhops, maid service at the hotel you stay at, and so forth. If you ever visit the US, please tip these people because that is how they make their living and most work pretty hard.

I have no doubt that they do work very hard, however, I should not have to make up for their lack of wages with a tip. How expensive would a stay at a hotel be if I had to tip every single person I encountered?

Despite the fact they work hard, it is not my problem that they don't earn enough to pay the bills. They need to demand a pay rise from the employer - because they deserve one.

LOL. Good luck with your meal or using the towels in your hotel.

The towels in Aussie hotels are fine, because the staff are paid well.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

guess their had to be a topic on here before like this....just ate a single diiner the bill was $22.50 gave her $40 bucks and told her to keep the change... I am a 48 year old single guy now. thats just me... how much do you tip? and do you lean left or right? just curious......

I tip generously. I always have. I'm a conservative too. My biggest tip for a waitress was a Ford Explorer that was in mint condition - low miles - I had to ask the restaurant for her last name because I didn't know it. She had been my waitress for a while and I heard she was walking to work. She had four kids. It was a really great surprise and she was shaking like a leaf when we had her sign the title putting it in her name. lol. I felt great!

p.s. I did tell her to please not tell anyone she worked with or I'd never be able to eat there again.

 

[Noomi]

guess their had to be a topic on here before like this....just ate a single diiner the bill was $22.50 gave her $40 bucks and told her to keep the change... I am a 48 year old single guy now. thats just me... how much do you tip? and do you lean left or right? just curious......

I tip generously. I always have. I'm a conservative too. My biggest tip for a waitress was a Ford Explorer that was in mint condition - low miles - I had to ask the restaurant for her last name because I didn't know it. She had been my waitress for a while and I heard she was walking to work. She had four kids. It was a really great surprise and she was shaking like a leaf when we had her sign the title putting it in her name. lol. I felt great!

p.s. I did tell her to please not tell anyone she worked with or I'd never be able to eat there again.

Very generous of you. It is just sad that she wasn't earning enough to buy her own car and had to rely on someone else for a vehicle.

 

[Dugdale_Jukes]

Small town 10%
Medium town 15%
Big town 20%

Interesting. I do just the opposite. Because so many of the small towns are in economic decline, I tip larger there.

Me too.

Plus, despite my hellraising here about white trash, until politics comes up I like rural America better.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Well, the system is that we the diners pay the waiters for bringing our food and drinks and stuff. The restaurant doesn't really pay them.

It's a weird system, but it IS the one we have. So if people don't tip, that's sad for the unpaid server.

The servers should be paid. By the employer. You, the public, should not be expected to pay the wages of a stranger.

You have absolutely no idea how much a good waiter can make in a nice restaurant. My friend did it for about 15 years...and he usually took home more than the manager.

 

[Jarlaxle]

The servers should be paid. By the employer. You, the public, should not be expected to pay the wages of a stranger.

Are waiters paid in Australia as they are in Europe? The tip is included in the bill in Europe.

Our waiters don't get tips because the employer pays them a decent wage. Work in a restaurant and earn around $20 an hour. Work a five hour shift, $100. Do that for five days and you have $500 - you can pay rent and bills with that in some places.

My friend would have taken almost a 50% PAY CUT working for that much!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Higher wages, as you do and Europe does.

I agree. And there is no expectation or demand on the customers to bring extra change with them to hand over to the server.

If restaurant owners paid $15 per hour instead of customers giving tips, then the prices would increase dramatically.

And good waiters would be taking a pay CUT!

 

[Dugdale_Jukes]

Why not? If the employer paid more, the employees wouldn't have to rely on tips, and they would be able to work 8 hours a day instead of 12 hours plus, and be able to afford to pay the bills.

You can make a wage, but it will be below the minimum wage. People who work on only tips generally make more in a day than people who generally earn a minimum wage, which is an average of $23,000 a year.

If an employer paid the employee at least $15 an hour, instead of $5, and they worked a 12 hour shift, that's $180 in one day. Five days a week, 12 hours a day and you have earnings of $900 in one week. Over 52 weeks, that works out to be $46,800.

I think the employer needs to pay more, myself.

Most of the folks around me agree with this. We dine out more for business than for pleasure, but either way a living wage rolled into a clear bill represents a step up for more people than it would damage.

 

[Connery]

Moved to proper forum